Never Too Late (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
by sammy1026
Summary: It's never too late to pursue your dreams.


_Mari & Ilna-thanks for your input and advice on this and every story. You guys are the best and have made every minute in this universe an absolute joy. Here's to many more years._

 _Sandy-we've been through the lowest of fandom lows and the highest of fandom highs. The highs are definitely better but having someone to commiserate with makes the lows much more bearable. Thanks for always being there in both instances._

 _REAL Worlders-you guys are the absolute best. I'm running out of superlatives to describe you. Your support and encouragement are a gift and I love hearing about the memories these stories bring up for you._

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 **This story was inspired by an email from Kate Wulff who said she would like to see more information on Elizabeth Rollins' background. Hope you like it Kate and thanks for the suggestion.**

 **This story references events form Mari's amazing story—What Exit? If you haven't read it yet you really should.**

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 **Never Too Late (1/1)**

"That was absolutely delicious." Steve shook his head appreciatively as he leaned back in his chair and wiped his mouth with his napkin.

"How about some more ravioli?" Josie Donatella reached for the large bowl in the middle of the table. "I'll cut you some more bread …"

"No, thank you." Steve shook his head and held up his hands in an attempt to forestall Josie's efforts to heap more food on his plate. "I couldn't eat another bite."

"What about you, Daniel?" Josie turned her attention to the man sitting on her right.

"Absolutely not," Danny said as he dropped his napkin on his empty plate. "Three helpings was plenty."

"Nonsense," Josie huffed. "You need to keep up your strength."

"This tiramisu is out of this world," Catherine gushed as she dug into the rich dessert. "You really should have saved room for this, Steve."

"I might be able to fit in a bite," he smirked as he watched her savor another spoonful.

"If you're willing to share that is."

"One bite," Catherine teased as she scooped some of the decadent goodness onto her spoon and held it out for him to taste. "This is not a dessert sharing situation. This is too good."

Steve held the sweet treat in his mouth for a minute and a look of complete bliss came over his handsome face.

"Maybe I could manage a small piece," he grinned.

Grandma Josie smiled broadly as she put a slice, not small by the standards of anyone other than an Italian grandma, on a clean dessert plate and passed it to him. "That's a good boy."

Grace and Linda giggled from their seats at the end of the table where they were digging in to a large plate of Grandma Josie's famous chocolate chip cookies.

"Gabby? Another piece for you?" Josie asked.

"Oh, thank you, but I really shouldn't," Gabby declined politely as she finished her last bite. "As it is I'm gonna have to go home and take the batteries out of my scale for a week until I have time to work this meal off."

"Nonsense, you have a gorgeous figure. Both of you," she indicated Catherine with a wave. "You can eat anything you want. And this is my thank you to you so I want you to eat up."

"How about this," Danny offered as a compromise. "You leave the leftovers in the refrigerator and I'll make sure Gabby takes some home with her. Then I'll take the rest to work tomorrow for lunch."

Josie beamed. "It's a deal."

The dinner, which she happily spent all day preparing in Danny's kitchen, was Josie's way of saying thank you to Danny, Gabby, Steve and Catherine for helping Linda with her end of the year school project. A presentation on what she wanted to do with her life after graduating high school.

Josie was grateful that all of them were a constant, supportive presence in her granddaughter's life. She never could have dreamed the night she flew to Hawaii in the wake of her daughter's sudden death, and encountered three people willing to go to bat to help her granddaughter, that they would all become such good friends. But she felt lucky they had.

After everyone finished dessert Steve and Danny rose to start clearing the dishes.

"Just put those in the sink and I'll wash them later," Josie directed.

"You don't have to do that," Danny told her. "You've done enough already. We'll clean up the kitchen."

"Nonsense," Josie waved him off. "I'll take care of them while I'm boxing up the leftovers."

"Josie … " Danny started but the older woman cut him off immediately.

"We're done talking about that. Just put the dishes in the sink." Josie's tone didn't allow for any further discussion on the matter.

Steve and Catherine shared a smile at how much she sounded like Nonna.

"But before we worry about any of that let's give our food a little time to settle," Josie suggested. "There's coffee for anyone who wants it."

"Sounds good," Catherine said as Gabby nodded in agreement.

"Linda would like to show you her final report if that's ok." Josie smiled at her granddaughter who was looking apprehensively at the other adults in the room.

In order to avoid having all of the projects due at once Linda and Grace's teacher, Miss Hernandez, gave half of her classes the assignment at first semester break and half at the end of the year. Grace had done her project, and received an A+, right before Christmas. Now it was her friend's turn.

"That sounds great," Danny said eagerly.

"I'd love to see it," Catherine added and the others murmured their agreement.

Linda's face broke out in a wide grin.

"I told you they'd want to see it," Grace whispered excitedly as they darted off to get things ready in the living room.

While Steve and Danny cleared the dishes Catherine and Gabby carried the coffee, along with an array of mugs, sweeteners and creamers into the living room and placed them on the coffee table.

Once everyone was settled Linda stood up sporting a shy smile and began her presentation with the help of visual aids she had painstakingly prepared with only minimal help from Josie. She began by discussing her various post-high school options including entering the job market immediately, attending trade school, enrolling in college or entering the military.

She interspersed data she collected through research with the personal experiences of the people she talked to while completing the report, most of whom were sitting in the room.

As she finished up her presentation she said, "I can't be positive right now because everyone says I don't need to decide yet but I'm leaning towards studying to become a marine biologist. It'll take lots of years of school. College, then graduate school and maybe even getting a PhD like Gabby. But I really love dolphins and whales and all kinds of ocean animals so I think it would be fun."

The adults in the room applauded vigorously as Grace jumped up and gave Linda a hug while whispering "I'll bet you got an A+" in her friend's ear.

"Great job," Steve said sincerely.

"Very nice, Linda," Catherine said honestly. "That was a terrific presentation."

"My brilliant granddaughter." Josie held out her arms and Linda bounded happily into her grandmother's hug. "You can be anything you want to be, angel. And if you decide to be a marine biologist you'll be a great one."

"Absolutely," everyone replied in unison.

"Sometimes I wish I was young again with all those options laying out in front of me," Josie sighed.

"It never too late," Danny said encouragingly. "You have more energy than most people I know half your age. You can do whatever you want … go back to school … open a restaurant. Anything at all."

"Linda's grandfather and I used to talk about opening a restaurant when we retired," Josie smiled wistfully, "But something like that is a full-time job and then some. There's not room for much else in your life, especially for the first few years. I want to be available whenever Linda needs me … at least until she goes to college. So owning a restaurant is out. However, I want you all to know I'm available for parties…or showers of any kind … baby … engagement … anything." she looked pointedly at Steve, Catherine Danny and Gabby in turn, all of whom suddenly took great interest in the carpet.

Danny cleared his throat. "So a restaurant is out. But you can go back to school if you want. I can see it now … Dr. Donatella."

Josie scoffed. "I'm too old for that."

"No, you're not," Gabby said sincerely.

"How old were you when you got your PhD?" Josie inquired.

"Twenty-nine," Gabby conceded. "But I have a PhD candidate working with me right now who's in his late fifties. In my field I work with people every day who decided to continue their education later in life."

"You should talk to Catherine's mother," Steve said. "She knows all about that."

"Oh?" Josie looked at Catherine.

Grace nodded animatedly. "Aunt Elizabeth is a doctor too. Like Gabby … not like the kind you go to when you're sick."

"My mother completed her PhD ten years ago," Catherine smiled proudly.

The fact that her look was mirrored on Steve's face wasn't lost on any of the adults in the room.

"Really?" Josie was instantly interested in hearing Elizabeth's story. No one in her circle of friends seemed to take the notion very seriously when she brought it up. "What made her go back to school?"

Catherine smiled. "I think it was something that was always in her plans. She just took her own path to get there."

"Your father was supportive?" Josie leaned forward in her chair.

"Very." Catherine nodded adamantly. "He always encouraged her to follow her dreams. They met while my father a midshipman at the Naval Academy. My mother was a student at Loyola University. They both ducked into a bookstore in downtown Baltimore to get out of an unexpected downpour and … it was love at first sight."

"So your mother was a navy wife?" Josie asked.

"Yes, she was," Catherine nodded. "My father graduated from the Academy and a week later they were married. Ten days after that his first overseas deployment started."

"Loyola was on a different schedule than Annapolis," Steve picked up the story he'd heard many times over the years. "So Elizabeth actually took her last final the afternoon before her wedding."

"She was almost late for her own rehearsal dinner," Catherine laughed. "By the time her graduation ceremony rolled around she was thousands of miles away living in base housing. Her diploma arrived two months later in the mail."

"So how long was it before she decided to go back to school?" Gabby's own educational path had been very linear, going straight from undergraduate to graduate school to doctoral studies. She was always fascinated to hear about the journeys others had taken.

"It was quite a while." Catherine explained. ''For the first couple years my mom not only had to adjust to married life herself, but she had to figure out how to navigate navy life for both of them. My dad went out on a carrier less than sixty days after the wedding and my mom was determined he'd never have to worry things weren't being handled at home while he was away. She created a system for handling the bills and all the household expenses and she stuck to it. She even took classes in basic plumbing and home repair so she could handle any little things that came up. My dad always says how lucky he was. So many of his friends spent their calls home listening to everything that was going wrong or needed dealt with. My dad didn't have to worry about that."

"That sounds exactly like the Elizabeth I know," Danny nodded, his voice brimming with respect. "Just like her daughter. Throw anything you want at her and she handles it like a pro."

Catherine smiled at him. "Two years later they'd already moved three times. Then I came along."

"Your mom had a lot on her plate in those early years," Danny said.

"She did. And she decided mostly because of the frequent moves, and my dad's long absences, that it was important for her to be a full-time parent when I was young. For me to have something constant in my life." Catherine smiled lovingly. "I don't think she ever missed a recital, or a sporting event, or a play … anything I ever wanted to do she was right there."

"She's a great mom," Steve dropped his arm across her shoulders. "And it shows. She raised a great daughter."

He kissed her temple.

"That's for sure," Danny agreed then turned to Josie. "I tell Steve every day he way outkicked his coverage with Catherine."

"Oh Daniel, don't tease Steve," Josie chided affectionately. "He's a wonderful man."

"Thank you," Steve smirked at his partner and Danny rolled his eyes.

"Please go on, Catherine," Josie smiled. "Your mother eventually went back to school?"

"Eventually," Catherine smiled. "In the years when I was growing up she didn't necessarily have a job but she always kept busy. Always had a project going. Her undergraduate degree is in education and she loves to teach. She always looked for ways to get involved at my school or in the community."

"She started a free after school tutoring program at every school Catherine ever attended," Steve said. "She didn't want any kid to fall through the cracks."

Catherine nodded. "She was classroom mom in my class, of course, but other teachers were always asking her to help out in their classes as well. A few times she even substitute taught in a pinch. People, both kids and adults, used to tell me how lucky I was that Mrs. Rollins was my mom. And I always said 'I know'."

"She sounds like a very special woman." Josie couldn't help but be touched by the love and respect that both Steve and Catherine obviously felt for Elizabeth Rollins.

"Even during my teenage years when I was chomping at the bit for more independence … like all teenage girls do … I always knew how lucky I was to have my parents."

Catherine swiped at a tear on her cheek and then squeezed Steve's hand.

"The month after I left for the academy my dad got assigned to a base in Texas. He was working long hours and Mom decided the time was right and enrolled in the University of Texas graduate program."

"That's great," Gabby said. "Good for her. A lot of people who plan to go back someday never do."

"I remember the day she called and told you she's been accepted," Steve smiled. "You looked so proud of her and I remember thinking how great it was that the two of you were so supportive of each other."

"If you think I was proud you should have seen my Grandma Ang. She was practically bursting at the seams with excitement. Telling everyone about her brilliant daughter AND granddaughter."

Catherine smiled as the memories flooded back.

"Mom got her Masters at the end of my second year at the academy. I think that's when she started thinking seriously about a career. But it's tough for a military spouse to find a job in the teaching field. Potential employers are always worried, rightfully so, that another deployment may come along and they'll be left high and dry mid-semester. So a full-time position wasn't really an option at that point."

"But even after Catherine graduated Elizabeth kept forming tutoring programs for her local school district. And when she saw more and more kids in need she started mentoring programs as well. Lots of them are still going today. They still call for advice and guidance and Elizabeth is always happy to take time to give it to them." Steve beamed with a mixture of equal parts pride, respect and awe.

"When did she decide to pursue her PhD?" Josie asked.

"When my father got assigned to Naval Station Great Lakes outside of Chicago they knew that would be his last duty station and they'd be staying put for at least three years. Mom applied to the University of Chicago. She got accepted and earned her PhD in Mathematics about the same time my dad put in his retirement papers."

"She's a doctor of Math?" Linda asked incredulously. "She must be super smart."

"She is," Grace nodded emphatically. "Next year when we start hard algebra she said I could skype her and she'll help me with her homework. I bet she'd help you too. Right, Auntie Cath?"

"I'm sure she'd be happy to," Catherine assured a hopeful looking Linda.

"Did she start teaching as soon as she got her PhD?" Gabby asked.

"Sort of," Catherine said. "Once my dad retired they moved to upstate New York where they live now. They loved the area and wanted to be closer to family, especially Grandma Ang who eventually moved in with them. One of Mom's professors from U of C has a friend that chairs the math department at the local university. He gave the guy my mom's name, she went in for an interview and the rest is history."

"She started off teaching two classes her first year but they were so popular, and there was such demand for classes Dr. Rollins taught, they kept adding more." Steve was always happy for a chance to sing Elizabeth's praises.

"So as your dad was retiring and starting to slow his life down your mom was just getting started on a career," Danny chuckled.

"Exactly." Catherine shrugged. "But Dad is totally supportive. He takes care of whatever needs done at home while Mom is on campus, and makes sure Grandma Ang gets wherever she wants to go."

"He likes to joke about being a kept man," Steve laughed.

"My late husband, Linda's grandfather, was an amazing man as well," Josie smiled. "We ran my family's business side-by-side for thirty years before he got sick. I loved the feeling of working together as a team. But machine tool manufacturing was never my passion. Or his really. Don't get me wrong, we made a good life for ourselves and our daughter, but it wouldn't have been my choice of career. After he died I went on for a little while but finally in 2009 I sold the business. I've always wondered what it would be like to do something I felt truly passionate about."

"Do you have anything in mind?" Steve asked.

Josie blushed. "I've always thought about writing the great American novel but I know I would need to go back to school and brush up on my skills before that can happen."

"You should do it," Catherine said enthusiastically.

"You totally should," Gabby agreed.

Steve caught Josie's eye. "It's never too late to make an impression on the people around you. By the time I met Catherine's mom I was out of school and past the age where I could have been one of her students. But that doesn't mean I haven't learned as much from her as I've ever learned from anyone in my life."

Catherine beamed at him.

"Following your dream … " Steve chose his words carefully, wanting badly to make sure his point got across, "…chasing something you're passionate about." He shook his head. "Never underestimate the effect watching you do that can have on the people in your life. We learn more from watching what the people we love do than from listening to what they say. I know I'm a better man for knowing Elizabeth Rollins. She's _shown_ me so many things over the years but none of them had a bigger impact than when I watched her be fearless in the face of a challenge."

"When the governor first proposed the idea of me staying in Hawaii and heading up the task force I wasn't sure if it was something I could handle. The temptation to go back to the familiar surroundings of the navy was strong. Elizabeth was one of the people I went to for advice. She told me not to make any decision based on fear. Trust my instincts and follow my heart. And she was absolutely right."

Catherine wrapped him in a hug and kissed his cheek.

"I'd love to meet your mother," Josie said. "She sounds amazing.'

"I'm sure the two of you would get along great," Catherine said unreservedly. "I'll give you her phone number and email. I'm sure she'd love to talk to you."

"She's a great teacher," Steve said. "Inside the classroom and out."

"You know what, I'm gonna do it," Josie said decisively. "I'm going back to school. And when my first book gets published I'm thanking you all in the dedication."

"I'll hold you to that," Danny said, his voice full of mock warning.

"Good." Josie clapped her hands and stood. "Now how about I warm up some cookies and pour some milk and you all have a little something sweet while I do up those dishes?"

"I can get the cookies," Danny offered.

"Nonsense," Josie smiled, "It's never too late to let a Grandma, even a surrogate one, spoil you a little."

 **THE END**

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